Litter Prevention
Beautification
Recycling
Contents
Table of Contents
2
Award Winning
7
The Suffolk Clean Community Commission 3
Litter Prevention
8
Our Mission
4
Recycling
18
Meet the People
5
Beautification
22
Well-Managed Funds
6
Moving Forward
26
2
The Suffolk Clean Community Commission (SCCC), publically recognized as Keep Suffolk Beautiful (KSB), is an affiliate of the national non-profit Keep America Beautiful. We are proud to be part of this national network whose contributions and impacts within local communities across America are valued and appreciated.
Keep Suffolk Beautiful (KSB) liaise and work closely with the City of Suffolk. We receive City funding and resources. Additionally, when eligible, we apply for grants and utilize available resources sent to us from Keep America Beautiful, including: litter grabbers, water bottles for volunteers and promotional toolkits.
The Litter Control Coordinator is the Secretary, and attends meetings, records the minutes and helps facilitate programs and initiatives. The Litter Control Coordinator is an employee within the Public Works Engineering department.
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Our Mission Our purpose is to promote public interest in the general improvement of the environment; to initiate, plan and coordinate programs for litter control and recycling; to encourage the placing, planting and/or preservation of trees, flowers, plants, shrubs and other objects of ornamentation.
Keep Suffolk Beautiful 4
Meet the Suffolk Clean Community Commission Kathy Russell (Chairperson) Susan Davis (Vice Chairperson) Michael Lane
Oulaniece Saunders Heather Gustafson Vicky Parish
Carolyn Butler Steve Matson
The Commission is composed of eight members appointed by the City Council at large for staggered terms of four years, beginning on July 1 of the applicable year.
Meet the Keep Suffolk Beautiful Executive Board Margaret LaRocco Christine Brooks
Debbie Farrell Bill Farrell
Kathy Russell (Chairperson) Susan Davis (Vice Chairperson) Michael Lane
Oulaniece Saunders Heather Gustafson Vicky Parish
Carolyn Butler Steve Matson
The Board consists of members of the Commission and four additional members appointed by the City Council who shall represent various businesses such as, but not limited to, the Chamber of Commerce, fast-food, banking, solid-waste and home-building industries. The City Manager may appoint up to four non voting members to the Board who shall represent the City in regard to the objectives of the Commission.
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Well - Managed Funds The Suffolk Clean Community Commission / Keep Suffolk Beautiful received funding of $15,000 for the fiscal year. In FY18 we coordinated and engaged volunteers so that for every $1.00 provided in our budget, we gave $7.42 in litter prevention, recycling and beautification services back into our community.
By the numbers: FY17
FY18
Volunteer hours
2,673
4,129
Value of volunteer service hours*
$72,064
$111,317
Pounds of litter removed from our community
39,525lbs
39,075lbs
Tires collected and disposed of
3,659
3,261
Batteries recycled and diverted from landfill
2,071lbs
2,127lbs
4,910lbs
7,320lbs
Clothing and Electronics recycled and diverted from landfill to Goodwill
*Using the latest 2016 Virginia average of volunteer time ($26.96), calculated by the Virginia Employment Commission.
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Award Winning
Keep Suffolk Beautiful received an award for its Volunteer Engagement and Litter Prevention Program from the Virginia Recycling Association. In the previous fiscal year, 2017. The hard work of hundreds of volunteers we collected 1,581 bags of litter, approximately 39,525lbs. Nominations are sought from the public and private sector to recognize programs and/or projects as making outstanding contributions to expanding and strengthening recycling and waste prevention.
Kathy Russell (Suffolk Clean Community Commission), Teresa Sweeney (President of the VRA) and Heather Gustafson (Suffolk Clean Community Commission)
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Litter Prevention In FY 2018 we collected approximately 39,075lbs of litter and debris. We achieved this through our Adopt Programs, Community Cleanups and Special Events.
We were excited in early 2018 when Sky Dive Suffolk adopted Airport Road. This is one of the heaviest littered roads in Suffolk.
The Adopt Programs (Adopt-a-Street and Adopt-a-Spot) are an opportunity for individuals, neighbors and organizations to take responsibility for keeping a street, park or public space clean of litter and debris. We had 16 new groups join our Adopt Programs in FY 2018 giving us a total of 78 groups in the program. 8
Litter Prevention
We installed Adopt-THIS-Street signage on heavily littered roads to encourage adoption. We created an interactive map on the Litter Control page of the city website to show which roads and public spaces have been adopted. We also publically thank groups on Instagram and Facebook. The Adopt Programs continue to grow. 9
In addition to the Adopt Programs, we coordinated 27 community cleanups and organized special events such as Love our City, St Patrick’s Day Cleanup and Clean the Bay Day.
Over 100 people showed up to the Love Our City Cleanup, including the manager and many employees of Lowe’s. The cleanup was in partnership with Suffolk Public Library.
Anyone can organize a Community Cleanup. We provide equipment, support with promotion and coordinate collection of bags and debris.
Our second St Patrick’s Day Cleanup was a success. This cleanup will be an annual event on the Keep Suffolk Beautiful calendar.
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Litter Prevention In May of 2018 we were excited to launch our library lending program in partnership with Suffolk Public Library. This new program is part of our Teamup2 Cleanup campaign enabling people across the city to get involved in the fight against litter. A library cardholder over 18 years old can borrow four litter grabbers, safety vests and bags to make cleaning up easier and cost free. Disposing of the bags of litter is easy too. The Litter Control Office is available to coordinate collection of bags.
Keep Virginia Beautiful were impressed with this idea and gave us $1,000 to support it through their 30 in Thirty Days grant program We will spend the money on supplies and promotional items.
Other cities in the Hampton Roads area are rolling out their own library lending programs. 11
Litter Prevention Litter Prevention Numbers
3,717 Value of volunteer service
Volunteer hours dedicated to cleaning up litter and debris.
$100,210
39,075lbs
Litter and debris collected
3 Toilets . Propane Tank . Lottery Sign . 6 Basketballs . Office Chair . Front Door . 15 Shopping Carts . 2 Bicycles . Flag Pole . 4 Couch Cushions . Inflatable Pool
Rare Items Found 12
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Nansemond River Cleanups We coordinate 3 Nansemond River cleanups a year, removing a lot of litter and larger debris from the wetland areas. Our first cleanup is in the spring, followed by our summer cleanup as part of Clean the Bay Day and we finish the year in the fall as we take part in the International Coastal Cleanup effort.
Volunteers are asked to bring their own watercraft, which we launch from the new canoe and kayak launch at Constant’s Wharf Park and Marina. Volunteers without watercraft are welcome to assist on land.
The river cleanups have been very effective and volunteers really enjoy taking part.
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Clean the Bay Day 2018 was a huge success. We had over 170 adults and kids participate. We coordinated 6 cleanup locations around the city. The most popular location was the downtown Nansemond River site, where we had canoes, kayaks and small boats cleaning up the wetlands. Suffolk Police supported us in their boats. In three hours we removed 140 bags of trash, dozens of tires, tv’s and a cooler. Clean the Bay Day 2017 was a huge success. We had over 200 volunteers and we were joined by Suffolk Police and Suffolk Fire and Rescue. Above is a picture of the tires we removed from the Nansemond River.
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Environmental Stewardship
Clean the Bay Day Volunteers at the Lake Prince Boat Ramp cleanup site. They cleaned the boat ramp area and Lake Prince Drive.
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The Church Cleanup Challenge We launched the “The Church Cleanup Challenge� in the fall of 2017. A church chooses a street, local park or public space and gathers a team of volunteers to conduct a cleanup. We provide a cleanup promotion kit, supply all the cleanup equipment and coordinate the collection of bags and debris after the cleanup.
Pictures are taken of the volunteers and posted on our social media with a friendly challenge to another church in Suffolk, nominating them to conduct a cleanup. The challenge starts in midSeptember and lasts for two months ending in midNovember.
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In 2017 we had 10 churches take up the challenge. We hope to grow the challenge year after year.
Recycling
Keep Suffolk Beautiful organizes two large recycling drives every year. One in the Spring and another in the Fall. We had 48 Volunteers help us make them successful. Over 500 people come to each drive to drop off items. Electronics 4,900lbs
Foodbank Donations 719lbs
Textiles 2,420lbs
Document Shredding 7,100lbs
Tires 3,261
Cardboard 1,400lbs
202 people dropped off Household Hazardous Waste Items
48 volunteers $5,176.00 value of volunteer service 18
Recycling America Recycles Day To raise awareness of plastic pollution and encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle, we began a plastic top collection to conclude with a public art project. The collection was launched on America Recycles Day (November 15th, 2017)
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Recycling
After six weeks, over 20,000 tops had been collected of all shapes, sizes and colors. The collection took off after the local newspaper and Suffolk Public Schools embraced the idea, encouraging everyone to donate their plastic tops from products ranging from soda bottles to detergent softener. On a Saturday morning in January, high school student volunteers from each high school gathered at the local art gallery to make a mosaic. It took 32 volunteers 5 hours to complete and it turned out beautiful. The tops were glued to 8 canvasses making it easy to move to different locations around the city. Now on display the mosaic is accompanied by plastic pollution facts and recycling information.
On display at City Hall along with Recycling Information.
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Recycling
Keep Suffolk Beautiful funds a household battery recycling program to divert hazardous materials from the regional landfill. Collection points are all over the City at Police Stations, Grocery Stores and Suffolk Public Library locations.
We diverted 2,127lbs of batteries from the landfill in one year.
We fill 3 drums and once a year AERC Recycling Solutions come and pick them up. The batteries are then sorted, metals removed and casings disposed of responsibly. 21
Beautification
Keep Suffolk Beautiful supports beautification projects around the City. We work with various organizations such as the Suffolk Master Gardeners, the Virginia Butterfly Society, Healthy Suffolk and others. We also support individuals and groups like the Scouts who need help with a community project.
The Pond Pollinator Program We asked Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists to help us plant native pollinator plants at a city owned pond. The two groups donated 108 plants and 9 volunteers showed up to help plant. The Pond Project will be expanded next spring and the goal is to create low maintenance natural spaces for pollinators to forage.
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Beautification
For many years Keep Suffolk Beautiful has been supporting the Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community with funding for its Community Garden program.
This year we helped again with a $1,000 contribution There are 20 Community Gardens spread across Suffolk. Many are located at our schools. The most recent gardens were installed at Morgan Memorial Library to support their No Kid Hungry program and the other at the Hilton Garden Inn a short walk from the ForKids Center.
On the left is Shelley Barlow, Director of the Community Garden Program and Shawna Lomonaco coordinator for the No Kid Hungry program at Morgan Memorial Library. Above is the garden at the Hilton Garden Inn. A short walk from the ForKids Center where kids will learn about plant life cycles and healthy eating.
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Beautification Free Standing Murals Keep Suffolk Beautiful, the Suffolk Art League and the downtown art studio OnePast7 have been working together on producing public murals. Some of the murals have been painted by the public, some by high schools and some by local artists. All of the murals are spread across the downtown area and we have plans to produce more.
This mural was produced by Kings Fork High School Art teacher Stephanie Gwaltney
Approximately 50 members of the public came to the first farmers market of the year and took part in painting this mural celebrating the Cypress Borough and The Great Dismal Swamp.
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Beautification
Navy Cyber Defense Volunteers come to Sleepyhole Park once a month to do Beautification projects. This day they spread mulch in the kids playground. Other months they have planted trees, flowers, trimmed shrubs and picked up litter.
We gave out 100 native tree saplings over two days during Suffolk Earth and Arts Fest and Arbor Day. We received the trees from a grant in partnership with Suffolk Parks and Recreation.
Volunteers from the Master Naturalists planted native shrubs at Sleepyhole Park and native trees at Lake Kennedy Park.
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It has been another awesome year for Keep Suffolk Beautiful. The number of volunteer hours increased from 2,673 to 4,129. That’s a 54% increase and we are extremely grateful to all of the wonderful adults and children who made it possible. Of those volunteer hours 3,717 were spent removing litter from our city. A litter free environment is very important and volunteer efforts are a huge part of tackling the problem. We removed approximately 40,000lbs of litter and debris.
We are also delighted with our community cleanup events. One of the biggest cleanup events was The Love our City Cleanup in partnership with Suffolk Public Library. Over 100 volunteers showed up to clean part of downtown. In addition, our Nansemond River cleanups are growing and we now host three of these a year - The Spring River Cleanup, Clean the Bay Day and The International Coastal Cleanup.
One of the biggest successes of the year was the Plastic Bottle Top Mosaic. We were thrilled with how well the collection campaign was embraced by the public. The mosaic turned out beautiful and we received many positive comments as it continues its tour of the city. The mural is displayed with information about recycling. Other big successes have been the launch of the Library Litter Kit lending program and the Free Standing Murals.
The Keep Suffolk Beautiful image is growing and a key achievement of the year was establishing a social media presence through Facebook and Instagram. We want to thank everyone who has made the year a success and enjoyable!
Moving Forward
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For more information about Keep Suffolk Beautiful or to get involved please contact us: (757) 514-7604 littercontrol@suffolkva.us
Please Recycle